Spain secured their place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup by drawing 2-2 with Turkey in their final Group E qualifier on Tuesday, finishing top of the group.
Turkey, finishing second, will now enter the play-offs after becoming the first team to take points off Luis de la Fuente’s side during the qualifiers. Dani Olmo gave Spain an early lead, but Deniz Gul and Salih Ozcan responded for Turkey, handing the hosts their first goals conceded in the qualification campaign.
Mikel Oyarzabal restored parity for Spain in Seville, keeping the team on course for their bid to win football’s premier tournament for a second time.
Across the qualification process, Spain scored 21 goals while conceding only twice and extended their unbeaten run in national matches to a record 31 games. This streak includes a 2-2 draw with Portugal in the June Nations League final, which Spain subsequently lost on penalties.
Turkey’s performance highlighted vulnerabilities in De la Fuente’s side, although Spain were without key players such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and Rodri.
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